There's news, and then there's NEWS. Bloor Animal Hospital in Toronto came out with a statement on Facebook this week,
stating they are no longer going to offer "cat declawing" as a service. ..
.Read the statement below, and take heart in the fact that the tides are definitely turning.

BREAKING NEWS

"As a group we (Bloor Animal Hospital) have decided to no longer offer elective declawing surgery. We feel this is in the best interest of our feline patients and that our team can educate feline owners on other alternatives to prevent their cats from scratching." Sincere congratulations to D.V.M.(s) Suzanne Lyons, Julie Downer and Ted Morris for their leadership! (Thanks Ariel Lang for sending along this incredibly heartening news.)

Bolt is a sweet, gorgeous Shep/Husky mix, around 4 years old. He is high energy and best suited with an active family who will take him on jogs and mountain bike rides. Bolt has been patiently waiting for his forever home. He cannot stay in his foster home any longer because he is picked on by another dominant male dog in the home. Bolt gets along well with other dogs and has been well socialized. He would thrive in an active home, as he loves to run, hike and swim.
After all is said and done, Bolt is super happy to snuggle up beside his humans and snooze the night away. (Although his recall is excellent, he is able to jump over fences and escape, so a secured yard is a must).
Please help Bolt find his perfect, forever family. Contact: manokrueger@gmailcom 905-483-7523

URGENT: B
ella is a 1 1/2 year old, un-spayed, female house-pig, living in Ontario. Her family have to find her a new home as the by-laws do not permit her living with them. Be
lla lives with a dog and a cat, but is not keen on the dog. She prefers to eat food other than her pig pellets and as such needs to loose a few pounds! She loves to go outside. Please remember that any potential adopters must live in an area that is zoned for pigs! Bella is at risk of euthanasia if a good home cannot be found. For an adoption application, please contact ralphysretreat@gmail.com

URGENT: 4 Year Old Male Pot-Belly Needs Home... Due to legitimate reasons, Xerxes is looking for a new home. From his current owner: He is neutered, all black with no markings. He is 75 lbs and in good health. He has a full veterinary history from one year of age. He loves to graze on grass in the backyard. In warm, nice weather he loves to be outside, in cooler, rainy/snowy weather he stays inside except to go out to do his business. He loves hi
s beds, he has a crate that he sleeps in every night. He also has a bed in the family room where he sometimes naps when his owners are home. He tends to avoid new or strange animals in the home, but once he has been around them for a while he warms up to them. He is very vocal almost all the time and sometimes gets needy for attention, like rubs, scratches, etc. It does take him a while to warm up to new/strange people. Xerxes is looking for an indoor/outdoor home that is zoned for pigs.
This adoption is time sensitive and Xerxes must be moved by April 30th 2016. For an adoption application, please contact
ralphysretreat@gmail.com

Gervais and I were out doing two fabulous RescueDiaries field shoots this week, showcasing the amazing work being done in the rescue community. Tuesday, we spent the day with
Bill Howes of Toronto Street Cats (TSC), and Robin Sarafinchan, a highly experienced cat colony caretaker. TSC has built over 4,000 feral/community cat shelters since 2010, and they've spayed/neutered more than 4,500 cats. TSC has over 500 volunteers building shelters in a season (Nov-Apr), they've distributed tonnes of food to colony caretakers, and have 30-40 volunteers who turn out every other Saturday during those months to build feral cat shelters.

It was so heartening to see Robin use her "clicker" to announce to the cats that lunch had arrived ... about a dozen, if not more, came out from wherever they were in the backyards in those alleys to enjoy a feast of kibble, canned food and clean water, in the early Spring sun. Robin has TNR'd 500+ cats in a five year window, and she's also the gal who was responsible for helping home Mary Anycat three years ago, my little Hamilton foster kitty.

Honestly, I just can't say enough about the work that these groups are doing, let alone the results they are seeing. To see 10 community groups come together to work on stemming Toronto's feral/community cats numbers, working diligently over five years, the results are positively incredible. Well done all!!!

Next week, we'll catch you up on our introduction to the Metro Toronto Mounted Police Unit horses, and the plans for their 130th anniversary this year.

For Dorothy Jo (@Woodstock Farm Sanctuary) ... Have a great week everyone! m.